We’re holding an open call for our first show of the RLT season! You are welcome to memorize a 1-2 minute monologue, read one off of paper, or read one that will be provided at auditions. 

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Audition Date & Time: Friday, July 17th from 6-8:30PM (at Good Luck Macbeth)

Callbacks: Saturday, July 18th from 1-4PM. *If we'd like to invite you to callbacks this time around, you will be notified via email following auditions!

 

The Penelopiad      

Written by: Margaret Atwood

Director: Libby Bakke    Assistant Director: Henry James

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Synopsis

For twenty years, Penelope waits. While Odysseus becomes immortalized through tales of monsters, gods, and impossible journeys, she wages a quieter battle—against time, expectation, and the relentless suitors who threaten everything she has left. But when the hero returns, the true tragedy belongs not to kings, but to twelve forgotten maids whose voices history refused to hear. The Penelopiad is Margaret Atwood's haunting, witty, and fiercely contemporary retelling of The Odyssey—a spellbinding blend of myth, music, and memory that invites audiences to question every story they've ever been told.

Rehearsals will begin in very late July/early August---generally from 6-9 for 4-5 nights a week, depending on your role. 

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Performance Dates: September 25th-Oct 11th --- 25, 26, 27*, 1, 2, 3, 4*, 8, 9, 10, 11*

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Character List

Penelope: 40’s-50’s. All others: 20’s-30’s

Note: Those cast in 2-3 roles (as seen below) are playing distinct characters that will be clearly defined by costume, voice, and physicality.

1. Penelope – The narrator and Queen of Ithaca; intelligent, patient, and reflective as she tells her version of the story. 

2. Odysseus/Maid – King of Ithaca; clever, charismatic, and resourceful, but also secretive and manipulative. 

3. Telemachus/Maid - The son of Penelope and Odysseus; eager to prove himself and follow his father's example.

4. Helen/Maid - Penelope's beautiful and confident cousin, admired for her beauty but often causing jealousy and conflict. 

5. Anticleia/Maid 4 - Odysseus’ mother and Laertes’ wife

6. Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks/Maid 1 - One of the 12 maids–set apart from the other maids by her experience with the suitors/relationship with Penelope

7. Antinous/Maid/Suitor 1 - One of Penelope’s main suitors. Violent, cruel, representing the abuse of male power and privilege

8. Maid 2

9. Naiad Mother/Maid - Penelope's water-nymph mother; distant and mysterious, with little involvement in Penelope's life. 

10. Oracle/Maid 3

11. Icarius/Maid/Suitor 2  -Penelope's practical and emotionally distant father, who values duty over affection. 

12. Eurycleia/Maid - Odysseus' loyal nurse (sometimes, to a fault), often undermines Penelope’s power and role

13. Laertes/Suitor 3/Maid - Odysseus' elderly father; quiet and respected

 

Content Warning: The Penelopiad explores difficult themes, including sexual violence, violence against women, misogyny, coercion, and execution. We recognize that these topics can be challenging and sensitive. If you are considering auditioning for this production, please be mindful of the material and your own comfort level. We ask that you refrain from auditioning if you feel that engaging with these themes would not be a healthy or comfortable experience for you.

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Note: All roles in The Penelopiad are written as female characters. We encourage performers to consider the nature of these roles and their relationship to the material when deciding whether to audition. Our goal is to create a thoughtful, respectful, and supportive environment for all performers engaging with this work.

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If slots are full or you have any questions, please email libby@renolittletheater.org